BBDO NY’s “In Real Life” confrontations remind people to be strong against cyberbulliyng

October 11, 2017

Online trolls feel detached from their victims. They write things they might never say to someone’s face.

BBDO New York removes the safety of distance from cyberbullying in its PSA Monica Lewinsky for National Bullying Prevention Month.

In the 60 second BBDO film, In Real Life, people repeat real online abuse to people face to face. But that’s not really the focus of the film. It’s the everyday people who became protectors.

The taunts were collected from social media to demonstrate the dreadful things that people are prepared to sling at others from the safety of a computer keyboard. Both the bullies and the victims were actors, but the passers-by who overheard the abuse and, in some cases, defended those being attacked, were everyday people.

The campaign includes a series of original #BeStrong emojis, stickers and GIFs, created with tech-messaging company Snaps and designer, Kirsty Munn, intended as tools for real life victims and defenders to use to support one another. They can be downloaded as a free keyboard for Apple and Android mobile devices.

“The internet is an incredible tool that has allowed for unprecedented connection and the instant sharing of ideas. But in occupying a disembodied, digital space, we also risk losing our humanity and forgetting that other people are beyond the screen,” stated Lewinsky.

“This campaign is a wake-up call to remind people that our instincts for empathy and caring are still strong. We just need to consciously extend that thinking online.”